Flexible shaft casing assembly



Aug. 30, 1932. l l H, w, WEBB l' 1,874,397

FLEXIBLE SHAFT CASING-ASSEMBLY Filed Jan,v 28, 1950 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 i i UNITED STATES PA'rI-N'rv OFI-Ica HAErwELL `w. ,wma-OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoE. vro TEE ls. s.

WHITE DENrALfMANUFAcTUmNG COMPANY, A conPoEA'rIoN 0E PENNSYLVANIA FLEXIBLE SHAFT cAsrNa AssP'mfmLY .Applicationpiilerl Ian-nary 28, 1930. Serial No. '424,105.

My invention relates articularlyv to the means of attachment of exible shaft casin n terminals to the housings of the flexible sha t driving and driven mechanisms, and isespecially directed to the unique formation of said terminals.

i It has heretofore been common practice in assembling a flexible shaft casing combination, to connectw al driven unit such asa speedometer with a drivin unit such as the transmission of an automo ile, by attaching to the end of said flexible shaft casing, either by solder or by swaging, a terminal ferrule or collar having a peripheral flange which :"wire strands, having its terminal re ions en- Y may be engaged by a sleeve nut arranged to be threadedly engaged with a threaded bearing boss or nipple projecting from the casing of said speedometer and said transmis-j sion or other driven and driving units, as maybe. ,Y f

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a flexible shaft vcasing formed of spirally coiled wire strands and having its terminals so 'enlarged as to cooperate with retaining means for removably and replaceably engaging it with housings of driving and driven mechanisms which are arranged' to .be operatively connected by flexible shafting extended through said 'shaft casing;

Other objects of my invention are to. provide a flexiblel shaft casing which in itself aifords means of engagementvwith coopera-4 tive elements without the requirement of the attachment of separately formed parts, `and which may be produced at a minimum of expense.

'My invention comprehends a flexible shaft casing assembly in which the combination of the shaft casing and cooperative housing elements play an important' part in facilitating the convenient removal and replacement of the. flexible shaft which'may be sheathed thereby, with respect to driving and driven mechanisms that said shaft may connect. i

e M invention includes a flexible shaft'casing ormed ofa plurality Iof, interfitted coiled 'larged and` the uniform thickness -o the casing wall maintained' throughout its length. Specifically stated, the'` form of my invenpanded to a ord a shoulder against which a retaining device'such as a pin, screw or other means passing into the bore or socket of the casing terminal' receiving element l l which projects from the housing Aand provides the bore of entry for' the iiexible shaft that may be sheathed by said casing. My inventionv also includes all of the various novel features of construction andarrangement, as hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view of a flexible shaft casing embodying m invention connected with the housing of exible shafting driven mechanism by a cotter pin engaging the shoulder of the enlarged terminal of said casing; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevational view of the assembly shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view of a flexible shaftV assembly such as shown in Fig. 1 but embodying a set screw'arranged to engage the shoulder of the enlarged casing terminal; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevational view of the casing assembly shown yin Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view of a flexible shaft casing assembly similar to those shown in Figs. 1 and 3 but embodying a pin slightly displacing one In said figures, the fiexible shaftcasing v1v` .is formed of Wires 2 and 3 of the cross-sectional contour shown in section in Fig. 7, and it has its terminals 5 enlarged to form a shoulder 6 which when entered into the socket 7 inthe projection 9 'of the housing of any suitable driving or driven mechanism, not shown; saidy shoulder 6 cooperates `with retaining means which, as shown'in Figs. 1 and e 2, comprises the split Cotter pinflO extended through a suitably disposed transverse laperture 12 in the projection 9 of said housing.

As shownin Figs. 3 and 4, the shaft casing 1 has its enlarged terminal 5 entered into the socket 17 of the houslno' projection 19 and.

its shoulder 6 is Aengage by the set 'screw 2,0 extended through the tlreaded aperture 22 whereby said iexible shaft casing 1 may be retained in removable mand replaceable relation with said projection 19.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the casing 11 has the enlarged terminal 15 and is entered yinto the socket 16 of the projection 29 andv said flexible shaft casing 11 is retained in said socket by the pin 30 extended through the aperture 32'so as to slightly distort one of the socket 26,.and said flexible shaft casing the strands 2 to prevent displacement of the enlarged terminal 15 of the casing 11 from ,the socket 16. As illustrated in Figs..7 and 8, the casing 21 has its enlarged terminal 25 engaged in the socket 26 of the housing projection 39 which is provided with an aperture 42 merging into a circular groove 43 in the walls of is retained in said socket 26 by a malleable pin. which may be driven into said'aperture 42 and groove 43, as indicated, to slightly7 distort the wall of the enlarged terminal of the flexible shaft casing21 to prevent its displacement.

It may be here noted that the enlarged terminal ofthe flexible shaft casing herein vshownjmay be either formed on said casing in the process of coiling the strands together inthe fabrication of the casing, or the casing may be made of uniform diameter andits terminal subsequently expanded into the enlarged form illustrated, without altering the thickness of the casing wall.'

My invention is advantageous in'thatthe enlarged terminal connecting means is formed unitary with the casing so that the Having thus described my invention, I claim: l

1. A flexible shaft casing formed of a pluf rality of wire strands coiled into tubular form and having its terminal coils preformed and permanently set into a greater diameter than its body, whereby a shoulder is formed for cooperation with a coupling means.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a flexible shaft casing formed of a plurality of strands coiled into tubular form and having the coils of itster- 3. In a 4device of the class described, they combination with a rigid casing member lhaving abore provided with a counterbore affording a shoulder, of a flexible casing formed of a plurality ofA strands, coiled into tubular form and having its terminal regions y preformed and permanently set into ia greater diameter than its intermediate body, and means extendedv transversely vthrough said casing member and arranged to retainA said enlarged terminal in said counterbore with its end abutted against said shoulder.

In witness whereof, Ihave hereunto set my hand this 25th day of January, A. D. 1930.

- L HARTW ELL W. WEBB.

advantage of the continuous ceiling of the K strands from end to end of the casing is attained and the enlargement utilizedto retain the casing in connected'relation'with the housing without the necessity for a separate soldering or swa-ging operation 'in attaching a retaining terminal member on said casing. Furthermore, the uniform thickness lof the easing wall may be maintained throughout 1ts length by varying the pitchangle of the strands forming the enlarged region with rrespect to the pitch angle of the strands forming the-intermediate regin of said casing.

I do not desire to limit precise details of construction and arrangement as herein set forth, asit is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features ofmy invention as defined in the appended my invention to thelac' 

